Saturday, October 19, 2013

Merkendorf, Memmelsdorf and Strassgiech

We caught a bus at the ZOB at 10:00am and a half hour later we were at Brauerei Wagner in Merkendorf.

Wagner, Merkendorf

They only had 7 different beers on draft: Weizen, Lager (Ungespundetes), Märzen, Jubilaumsbier, Pils, Festbier and Richard Wagner Dunkel.

Beers of Wagner Merkendorf

Most chose the Lager as their second beer.

I especially like the entrance mosaic, as the initials are the same as mine...

Entrance Mosaic

Then it was down the street to Brauerei Hummel. Six draft beers here.

We had lunch and another beer. Then it was time to catch the bus back to Memmelsdorf, were we had a quick beer at Höhn.

Brauerei Höhn

I haven't had their beer in a few years. It was perfectly drinkable and I can see why some people find it to be a favorite.

Then it was couple doors down to Drei Kronen where they had three beers on draft, a "Frankisches Altbier" (FrAlt), the Keller-Pils and Stöffla (their lightly smoked lager). Herr Straub stopped by for a hello and then rushed back to the business of running a brewery.

Then it was back on the bus for the short ride to Strassgiech and Andy Gänstaller's tap room at the old Drei Kronen pub.

First up for me was the Kellerbier, while other's had the Zwickel Pils

Gänstaller Kellerbier

Treberschnitzel

Soon after dinner, the Zwickel Pils ran out and Andy tapped his latest experiment, a stein bier. This was his second version, called "Rocks II"

Gänstaller Rocks II

There was a bit of smoke character, from the hot rocks and a nice bit of caramel from the caramelized wort on the rocks. A very drinkable and interesting beer.

We were staring at the chalkboard menu which had a strudel listed so most of us broke down and ordered one.

Andy then brought out some of his more exotic beers, a 8+% highly hopped smoked lager he calls IPS (India Pale Smoked). I didn't think smoke and hops went together, but he mad it work.

India Pale Smoked Lager

Then he brought some bottles of his Baltic Porter (has a long name with "Riga" in it but I was too busy drinking). We had this last December when it was fairly new and it has only improved with time.

Baltic Porter

By now we were ready for a cab back to the rooms and we were so beer and fooded out it was straight upstairs, do not pass go, do not drink a beer at Spezial.